Journal-box.



gul i II" III Patented Jan. 30, I900.

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OOOOOOOO Ill I HIV??? WW" uh J5 wmm fllllllllli I il STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES R. RENIFF, OF NORIVALK, OHIO.

JOURNAL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 642,4 dated January 30, 1900.

Application filed November 19, 1898. Serial No. 696,843. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES R. RENIFF, re-- siding at Norwalk, Huron county, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Journal-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in j ournal-boxes for railway-cars.

The objects of this invention are to reduce to a minimum the quantity of oil and waste or lubricating agency required for use in journal-boxes of the character indicated, tohold or sustain the waste in such a position relative to the journal as to effect the lubrication of the journal with the least possible expense in materials and labor, and to perform such service without loss or waste of the lubricat ing agency.

Another object of the invention is to provide a box of the character indicated that has all the advantages of strength, lightness, and durability.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a central vertical and longitudinal section of a journal-box embodying my invention, and this figure shows also an axles journal that isto be lubricated Within the box. Fig. II is an outer end elevation, partly in transverse section, on line II II, Fig. I.

Referring to the drawings, a designates an axles journal that extends into and is to be lubricated within my improved journal-box, and 6 represents the casing of the box. One important difierence between my improved journal-box and the box that is at the present time in general use is a novel construction and arrangement of the lower wall or bottom of the casing for the purpose of combining strength and durability with lightness, and I have materially reduced the weight of the box by a reduction of the vertical dimension of the journal-receiving chamber of the box, which reduction is effected by a higher location or arrangement of the lower wall or bottom of the casing forward of the rear end or dust-guard-forming holder (1 of the box. The dust-guard is of any approved form and comprises packing d, that embraces the axle at the rear end of the box.

The lower wall or bottom of the box now in general use is indicated by dotted lines G, Fig. I, and upon reference to this figure it will be observed readily that the lower wall or bottom of the casing of my improved box is comparatively higher than the lower wall or bottom of the former box.

My improved box to accommodate it as a substitute for the former box' has a bottom bearing at the same elevation as the lower wall or bottom of the old box. In the latter the lower surface of the bottom of the casing forms the bottom bearing of the box, whereas in myimproved box the said bearingis formed by two flanges b 1), depending from and integral with the bottom of the casing and arranged a suitable distance apart and trans versely and centrally of the bottom. The said flanges are instrumental also in rein forcing the bottom. The box is provided with suitable means (not shown) for attaching it to the truck-frame of a railway-car, and the box in the case illustrated has in each of its side walls a bolt-hole 72, that'accommodates the introduction of a bolt (not shown) employed in securing the box to a truck-frame. The bottom of my improved box forms the bottom of the oil-saturated-waste-receiving space below the journal-space and is, as alreadyindicated, considerably above the lower end of the dust-guard holder, so as not only.

to reduce the weight of the box, but also to form a shallower space below the journal, and thereby require less lubricant and waste in maintaining the axle properly lubricated.

By journal-space I mean the space actually occupied by a journal when the latter is in position within the box.

The upper portions of the side walls of the chamber of the box or casing are perpendicular, as shown at 19, Fig. II; but the lower portions of the said walls curve inwardly or converge toward the bottom, as shown at 19, Fig. II, so as to avoid any unnecessary or superfluous space or objectionable corners in the waste-receiving space.

I would here remark that the waste before being placed in the box has been thoroughly saturated with oil and will not require additional oil when placed in the box, and if the waste has more oil than it can absorb the surplus oil will settle to and upon the bottom of the box between two ribs 1) b formed upon and integral with said bottom and arranged a suitable distance apart longitudinally of the box below opposite ends, respectively, of the journal-space and extending transversely of the bottom between and contiguous to the converging portions 19 p of the side walls of the box. These ribs confine and prevent displace ment of waste placed between them below the axles journal. The rear rib b is higher than the forward rib 13 so that should oil be extravagantly used there is no liability of an overflow at the rear rib; but the overflow would be over the forward and lower rib into the shallow dish 12 formed in the bottom of the box below the space occupied by the journals outer end and forward of the said lastmentioned rib, and the bottom of the said dish is extended forwardly and upwardly to the forward extremity of the box, so as to hold any waste placed upon the bottom at the forward end of the said dish against the collar a, formed upon the journals outer end. The presence of oil in the said dished portion of the journal-boxs bottom would indicate extravagant use of oil, and the depression in the bottom formed by the said dish accommodates the lifting of the box, as required, to accommodate the removal of the ordinary bearingpiece g and key g at the top of the journal in that it affords the necessary space for accommodating the location of the journals outer collar a during the removal and assemblage of the said parts g and g.- Ribs b b are instrumental also in reinforcing the bottom of the box, and the bottom between the ribs and b and between the converging portions of the side walls is preferably flat and horizontal.

In the box now in general use the waste from its weight and the constant jarring occasioned by the movements of the car settles or packs upon the bottom, and when oil is poured into the box and upon the waste there is nothing to prevent the oil from running out of the rear end of the box and upon the car-wheel or upon the ground. At railway-terminals and not infrequently at intervening points it is the custom to stir up the waste and bring it up high on the sides of the journal and to give it a small quantity of oil. By doing this great damage is done to the Waste by breaking and tearing the fibers, so that in a short time is formed a mass of short fibers which settle more rapidly and pack more firmly, whereupon hot journals necessarily follow, and, finally, the waste is removed and fresh material introduced. By in yin vention I have reduced the quantity of oil and waste that is required for maintaining the proper lubrication of the axlejournal to a minimum and retain the waste against the journal, so as to insure the lubrication of the journal at all times with the least amount of attention and loss of oil. \Vaste is placed under and against both sides of the journal between the ribs 19 and b and preferably a small quantity of waste is placed in front of the journals outer end, so as to exclude dust from accumulating upon the said end and in a measure to lubricate that portion of the journal. It is obvious that in my improved box before any oil can run over the rear and higher rib, and hence out at the back end of the box through the packing of the dust-guard, it must first overflow at the lower and forward rib, and not until the oil has reached the level indicated by the broken line ,2 could it flow outside of the box, and an overflow would be caused only by a very extravagant and tortious use of oil. By my improved construction of box it will be observed also that the waste can be readily removed without injury and replaced very quickly.

What I claim is r 1. In a journal-box of the character indicated, two internal ribs formed upon the bottom of the box below opposite ends, respectively, of the journal-space, and extending transversely of the bottom between and contiguous to the side walls of the box, and the rear rib being higher than the forward rib, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a journal-box of the character indicated, two internal ribs formed upon the bottom of the box below opposite ends, respectively, of the journal-space and extending transversely of the bottom between and contiguous to the side walls of the box, the rear rib being higher than the forward rib, and a depression formed in the bottom next forward of the forward rib, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a journal-box of the character indicated, two internal ribs formed upon the bottom of the box below opposite ends, respectively, of the journal-space and extending transversely of the bottom between and contiguous to the side walls of the box, the rear rib being higher than the forward rib, a depression formed in the bottom forward of the forward rib, and the bottom of the said depression extending forwardly and upwardly substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

Signed by me at Cleveland, Ohio, this 2d day of November, 1898.

JAMES R. RENIFF.

WVitnesses:

O. H. Donna, A. H. PARRATT.

ICC

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